


The World That Could Be

by Toon_Lover_Kost



Series: The World That Could Be [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: Burning Abyss, Dark World, Darklords, Death, Duel Monsters, Duel Terminal, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, LGBTQ Themes, Madolche, Non-Graphic Violence, Original Universe, Possession, Smoking, Spellbook, Supernatural Elements, X-Sabers, Yang Zing, Zefra, monarchs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24697483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toon_Lover_Kost/pseuds/Toon_Lover_Kost
Summary: A Yu-Gi-Oh! card game-based story set in an Original Universe, that follows the journey of X-Saber Duelist Matheus Kallin, as he participates in a Duel Monsters Tournament in the fictional city called Arcadia and tries to raise people's awareness about Duel Spirits. Features popular monsters and archetypes from Yu-Gi-Oh!'s competitive past.
Series: The World That Could Be [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833535
Kudos: 6





	1. Wanderer

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on a collaborative roleplay originally hosted in Dueling Network Forums, which I can't link because the site has been offline since 2017. Despite that roleplay being a structural mess and riddled with backstage drama, the story and characters stuck with us, and our connection as online friends thanks to that RP persists to this day. This is a personal effort to turn that story into a more coherent one, with a more consistent tone closer to what you'd see in your average Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, using those same characters (with the original creators' permission, of course), because I felt it was a story worth sharing with other people outside of our small circle. I hope you'll enjoy it~!

This is that kind of story. Or is it?

A stranger arrived at the city, a gigantic neon sign reading ‘Welcome to Arcadia’ feeling like a warm welcome indeed after a gruelling trek through the desert.

Naturally he had to be the Star, right? The Protagonist, the Hero? Perhaps. Only time - which was a fickle and cruel mistress - could tell…

The young man walked through the crowded streets of this dazzling, loud metropolis, taking in the various sights; Skyscrapers with personality towered all around him, each with a unique architectural style that paid homage to everybody’s favorite game. Large, flashing billboards displayed promotions for various local attractions, all named after iconic characters from the same game. Last but not least, the colossal statue of a ponytailed Soldier in shining knight armor stood proudly in the middle of the bustling city square. Was this an actual city, or just a glorified theme park? It was hard to tell the difference.

The man himself was a sight to behold in his own right, though; Spiky black hair and tanned skin. He had fierce eyebrows, but a calm disposition. His physique was reasonably imposing, rippling arm muscles bursting through a long coat that had a distinct lack of sleeves. He looked like a gentle wildman, and judging by the big satchel hanging over his shoulder, he was also a traveling vagabond of sorts. A wanderer… He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst this crowd of scrawny nerds and otakus that had come from all corners of the Earth just to see who was the best at playing card games.

“This shall be easier than I thought… Yeah, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten why we’re here, my friend.” He said, seemingly to nobody.

After asking some passersby for directions, he had found where he needed to be. He waited patiently in the long line, brandishing his dusty Duel Disk as he did, until finally it was his time to approach the registration counter. He slammed a deck of brown cards unto the counter, making the clerk jump in surprise.

“I came to sign up for the 10th annual Arcadia Duel Monsters Tournament!” The man said with a wolfish grin, which soon gave way to a gentler smile.

“The name’s Matheus Kallin.”


	2. Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus defends a waitress who gets harassed by a group of delinquents.

The first few days of the tournament had been a breeze, the competition found in the lower tiers leaving much to be desired. Matheus had decidedly taken a break at a local maid café. A weird place for a man like him to hang out, but the service was decent. He was biding his time, slowly devouring a full plate of Nutella Crepes, when a waitress clad in the typical French maid uniform meekly approached him.

“W-would you like anything else… sir?”  
“I’m good. Thank you.”

“Oi, doll! Why don’t you ditch that gorilla and come sit with us?” Some annoying wolf whistles came from a nearby table, where a small gang of your average delinquents hung out.

Matheus’ eyebrow twitched.

“M-me? I can’t… I’m working.” The waitress replied, looking down at her own feet.

One of the ruffians, evidently the leader, scowled. He stood up and walked over to the girl. “What are you, deaf? Did you not hear what I said? You’d best not try to cross us, doll!” He forcibly grabbed her hand.

A voice screamed in Matheus’ head. When his vision unblurred, he saw his own hand tightly clutching the other man’s throat, having hoisted him up in a chokehold. The whole restaurant became silent, as if time itself had stopped… The mask of fury that had become Matheus’ face eventually mellowed into more of a judgemental glare. He released the man, who in turn fell on one knee, gasping for air.

“If you have any honor, you will Duel me now.” Was all Matheus said, as he slapped his own deck into his Duel Disk.

And they both Dueled. At first, the hoodlum got cocky with his opening plays; He summoned mighty orcs and goblins that sported impressive offenses but nonexistent defenses, and were forced into a defensive stance after attacking. He would then use those same monsters as tribute fodder to summon more powerful monsters based on Japanese mountain ogres, which complemented each other’s stats with their special abilities.

“You think you can beat me with your trolls and goblins, but I have something far better… I have an ARMY!” Matheus grinned like a demon, as he retaliated with a rapid succession of moves that winded with his entire side of the field being swarmed with monsters in but a single turn. The thug’s ogres were soon being stared down by a battalion of humanoids and anthropomorphic animals brandishing heavy armors of rugged steel and sharp blades.

“Faultroll, Boggart Knight, Anu Piranha, Fulhelmknight, Emmersblade! ATTACK!”

The thug leader’s Life Points reached zero, and after having suffered such a devastating defeat, he and his cronies promptly ran away like scolded dogs. The entire restaurant broke into cheers and applause for the winner, but they were all met by an icy glare from a still seething Matheus.

“Silence, all of you! You don’t get to clap when you let such lowlifes come here every day, and sit idly as they mistreat innocent people like that!”

Silence fell anew, as the various customers either hung their heads down in shame or went back to their own businesses.

As Matheus turned back to the waitress, his expression softened somewhat. “You alright? Sorry you had to see this.”

No immediate reply came from the raven-haired girl, who instead stared wordlessly at the man with her empty, doll-like, blue eyes.

“I’m Matheus, by the way. Matheus Kallin. And you?”

The maid’s eyes fell on the empty space behind Matheus’ back. She suddenly gasped and covered her mouth in shock. “You’re… You are the one…”

The girl bowed. “I’m Alice Ne--”

She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes trailing down to an open menu that listed various confections.

“Clafoutis… I’m Alice Clafoutis.”


	3. Spectres

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus invites Alice to his home, where he reveals his big secret to her.

After a long day of Dueling, Matheus was on his way back to his apartment for a well deserved rest. His rather run-down apartment, that is, since being a vagabond didn’t pay very well. It was better than living on the streets, though, and he usually didn’t stay inside his cramped mess of a room for long anyway.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks. “I know you’ve been following me.” He said without even turning to look back.

“S-Sorry…” The girl called Alice from the other day meekly apologized. She had foregone her work outfit for rather unremarkable civilian gear.

“Go home, Alice.”

“I don’t have one. I quit my job…” The girl admitted. “Matheus… I can see him… I can see your Duel Spirit.”

Matheus turned to face Alice with a bewildered expression. After a brief pause, he nodded. “You can stay at my place. Come with me.”

After letting Alice into his humble abode, Matheus took a couple of frozen tacos from the freezer, and after microwaving them into a semi-edible state, offered one to Alice.

“There you go.”

“... thank you.” Alice nodded, as she took the warm taco in her hands, curiously staring at it.

“It’s okay to show yourself, Gottoms. Come out and greet our guest.” Matheus called out.

A downright gargantuan figure suddenly manifested in the room with them; A massive behemoth of a knight, covered head to toe in heavy armor. So tall was he that he had to crouch on his knee just so his head wouldn’t go through the ceiling. Using his gigantic broadsword as a crutch, the knight bowed his head respectfully to the two humans.

“I am Commander Gottoms, the first of the X-Sabers. ‘Tis a pleasure to meet you, Lady Alice.” The giant suit of armor spoke, voice easily filling the entire room.

“Likewise, Lord Gottoms…” Alice said, reaching out her hand to touch the knight, only for it to go right through the apparition-like body.

“Bother not, Lady Alice. ‘Tis regrettable, but while in the Human World, us Duel Spirits can exist as nothing but spectres of our true selves.” Gottoms explained.

Matheus chuckled heartily. “Heh. She probably already knows that. Gottoms has an old-fashioned way of saying things, but deep down he’s a big ball of fun! He’s been my friend for as long as I can remember.”

“Friend…” Alice repeated in a seeming trance.

After finishing his own taco, Matheus walked over to the kitchen sink to clean his hands and mouth. “So, Alice. How come you can see Gottoms?”

“While rare, Duelists who have a deep bond with their cards may develop the ability to behold Duel Spirits.” Gottoms mused out loud.

“You’re a Duelist too? What kind of deck do you use?” Matheus casually asked.

Alice simply looked away, reluctant to give an answer.

“Alice…?”

Still, there was no answer.

“Alice Clafoutis, answer me!” Matheus stood steadfast and firm, letting his next words resound like the battle cry of a Spartan warrior. “WHAT IS YOUR DECK!”

The girl jumped in shock, looking towards Matheus with an expression that resembled both fear and reverence. “Madolche. I have a Madolche deck, but… I don’t like Dueling… it hurts Duel Spirits.”

Matheus’ own expression grew more serious, and he nodded. “I know. That’s why me and Gottoms came to this city. We need to let the people know about Duel Spirits. We need to let them know that Dueling is wrong.”

“If you know this, then why do you Duel yourself, Matheus? Why did you enter this tournament?” Alice asked melancholically.

Matheus frowned. “It’s the only way I can get as many people as possible to listen. If I’m at the very top, maybe my voice will reach them. It’s just how the world works…”

“Worry not, Lady Alice. I am proud to fight alongside Matheus. I have been training him for this mission for years.” Gottoms decided to intersect.

“That you have, my friend…” Matheus smiled soberly, before stretching his muscular arms with a light grunt. “Anyway. I’m gonna take a shower. Gottoms, keep Alice company while I do that, okay?” He said, leaving the two of them on their own.

After he was done showering, Matheus walked out of the bathroom already clad in a black wife beater and a pair of boxers. “You and Gottoms were discussing for quite a while there. What were you two talking about?” He asked Alice, all the while toweling his wet hair dry.

“N-nothing too important…” Alice stuttered. While Matheus had been away, she had taken the liberty of changing into one of the man’s own oversized T-shirts, which ran all the way down to her knees. Really, it was the closest thing to a nightgown she could find.

“I see… Well, he seems to trust you.” Matheus said, as he readied the couch for him to sleep on. “I was thinking… Do you have a Duel Spirit of your own?”

Alice freezed like a statue at that inquiry. Her eyes momentarily shifted to the side. “No… I don’t.”

Silence fell in the room, as Matheus’ own eyes narrowed. Ultimately, he shrugged. “The bed is all yours, by the way… Night, Alice.”

“Good night…” Alice absentmindedly responded, tucking herself in.

However, while Matheus was fast asleep, the girl got up from the bed and lied on the cold floor next to the couch instead, hugging her knees close to her chest. The sound of this man’s breathing soothed her into sleep, the heat emanating from his body feeling like a bonfire during a frigid Winter night. It was worth sleeping on the floor…

“Good night, Matheus…”


	4. Listen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus publically addresses the people of Arcadia.

Matheus and his newfound friend Alice had gone down to the city’s main square, which at this time of day was crowded to the brim with hundreds of civilians. They were many, yet they each minded their business, each thinking of their own mundane life as all that mattered to them, blissfully unaware of the grander scheme of things. They were blind, yet their eyes needed to be opened…

 _“You appear nervous, Matheus.”_ The voice of Gottoms sounded in the man’s head.

Matheus’ hand grasped tightly at a silver cross that hung from his neck. “They’ll refuse to listen… The truth is a hard pill to swallow.”

“Duel Spirits have suffered long enough in the hands of Duelists.” Alice grumpily interjected. “So what if the truth is hurtful? Let their feelings get hurt. It might be good for them.”

“You’re not in a good mood today, are you, Alice?” Matheus observed.

Alice harrumphed. “Hmph… This place has too many people. I don’t like big crowds.”

 _“Even if they do not listen to you today, your words can plant the seed of doubt in their minds that will one day open their eyes to the truth.”_ Gottoms shared some of his wisdom.

Matheus nodded with a smile. “You’ve been a good mentor, and an even better friend. I won’t fail you.”

And so, with Alice in tow, Matheus walked to the center of the square, where the colossal statue of Black Luster Soldier stood. He sighed once and took in a deep breath, then allowed his powerful voice to travel across the entire square, getting everyone’s attention at once. “People of Arcadia! Listen to me, and listen VERY well!”

The crowded murmured amongst each other, as their eyes were drawn to this somewhat familiar figure who beseeched their audience.

“Isn’t that… Matheus Callum?”  
“Kallin.”  
“Right, Kallin. He’s been taking the competition by storm!”  
“Yeah, people think he might even make it to the Top 8.”  
“Top 8? Try new Champion!”

“You, who have embraced the game of Duel Monsters as an international sensation. You, who collect and trade away your cards, thinking that this is only a game… Know that it is not! Each monster card in your very decks is more than just a piece of cardboard. Each card has a soul! Duel Monsters… are REAL!”

The murmurs grew louder and the people more skeptical, some even accusing Matheus of being a madman and liar. He did not falter to their scorns.

“If you need proof, look no further than this very city. Look at this statue, look all around you… These are not merely amusement park pieces or parade floats… They are RELICS! Relics of an ancient aeon that this city was built upon! Humans didn’t create Duel Monsters. They already existed!”

Matheus moved his long coat to the side, revealing to the crowd’s bewilderment that he carried a medieval broadsword on his person. Unsheathing the large sword and wielding it with both hands, he roared to the confused crowd. “If you don’t believe me, feast your eyes on this! BEHOLD, MY DUEL SPIRIT!”

Commander Gottoms made his spectral form visible to the entire crowd, wielding his gigantic sword in a fighting stance that perfectly mirrored Matheus’ own. With a deafening roar, Matheus swung his blade forward in perfect sync with Gottoms. Human and Duel Spirit, working in flawless unison. Their bodies and souls were as one. So superhuman was their combined might, it created a visible sound wave that shot across the city square, slicing a nearby telephone pole in half. Thick concrete and metal infrastructure were cut as easily as if they were made of paper, falling to the ground with a resounding crash. The crowd erupted in horrified screams.

Alice’s eyes were wide open and her mouth agape with awe. “S-such unbelievable power from a human… That man. He is…” Her aghast expression gave way to a wicked-looking smile that could only be described as pure, unhinged mania. “Yes… Destroy!”

Sitting by a nearby small grove, a young man garbed in archaic robes akin to a fantasy warlock was shuffling through his deck of Tarot cards. Upon hearing the speech, he picked the first card and flipped it over. Twenty One… He smiled warmly.

In a nearby café, a lean man in a leather jacket was sitting with one leg resting on the other. Upon hearing the speech, he pulled out his cigarette pack. On his hand was a tattoo that resembled a pair of angelic wings. He lit up a new cigarette and smiled like a fox.

An incredibly tall, long-haired man was resting his back against a wall on a nearby dark alleyway. Upon hearing the speech, his lips curved slightly into a forced smile tinged with melancholy, before he mounted his large motorcycle and rode off.

Matheus sheathed his sword back in its leather scabbard. “Should you choose to believe this truth, will you continue to Duel? Will you continue to force Duel Spirits to fight for your own selfish needs and entertainment? You must think of this VERY carefully! That will be all for today… Thank you all for your time.”

Like that, the speech that shook Arcadia had ended, and the gargantuan apparition of Gottoms vanished from public view.

“That’s it? You’re going to let them choose on their own?” Alice asked, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

“We need to leave. The authorities will be here soon.” Matheus said, as he took hold of Alice’s hand, and guided her while they squeezed their way through the waves of running and screaming civilians, until they were both gone.

Elsewhere, a man was sitting in a dark office, a number of flashing, holographic screens illuminating his shadowy frame. A uniformed man entered the room.

“Sir, we had an incident down on Soldier’s Square.”

“I’m well aware.”

The man scowled in mild annoyance, as he clasped his hands together in front of his chin. He wore rings on all ten of his fingers, each of them bearing a different-colored gemstone.

“Matheus Kallin… That man is going to be trouble.”


	5. King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus meets Solomon Scardigne, the Mayor of Arcadia.

Towering wouldn’t do this skyscraper justice… This enterprise building was so exuberantly tall, it was practically a modern Tower of Babel attempting to pierce the skies and reach Heaven itself. As Matheus and his invisible Duel Spirit companion approached this titanic complex, they were greeted by three large statues erected in front of the main courtyard, arranged in a triangle formation; Long-haired, androgynous humanoids flaunting their majestic capes and pointing their fiendish claws at one another.

 _“The Vanity Triad… this cannot be…”_ Gottoms grunted, as his powers failed him and he keeled over in a drained state.

“Gottoms, what happened?” Matheus asked, in a state of confusion and alert.

 _“I know not how these statues wound up in your world, but together they can negate even the most powerful of magics…”_ The weakened Gottoms explained. _“You must proceed alone, Matheus… Be cautious.”_

“I will. You stay here, my friend.” Matheus nodded and walked ahead.

“Solomon, he’s here.”  
“Let him in. And thank you, Elias.”

Up on the topmost floor of the tower, Matheus was led into a luxurious office. There, sitting behind a mahogany desk, in front of large window panes that overlooked the entire city, stood a silver-haired man who looked no older than thirty, clad in a stylish white suit. “Welcome, Mr. Matheus Kallin. Thank you for answering my summons, really. Your courtesy has saved us both a lot of trouble… Please, take a seat.” The man affably said, while his ring-filled hand gestured to a comfortable chair facing his desk.

“I’m not one to hide when someone asks to meet me directly.” Matheus responded while sitting on the chair.

“Do you know who I am?” The sharply-dressed man asked.

Matheus crossed his muscular arms in front of his chest and smirked slightly. “Solomon David Scardigne. CEO of the Endelphia Conglomerate. Longest running Mayor of Arcadia… in fact, the only running Mayor in the city’s history. Married to a former supermodel. Rumored bisexual… Does that suffice for an answer?”

“Impressive. I see that you’ve immersed yourself in keeping up with the tabloids.” Solomon grinned lightly in return.

Matheus shook his head. “Not quite. You’d be surprised how much I was able to pick up simply by asking your own employees on my way here.”

“I see… In that case, the reports you’ve heard should be accurate. I’m like an open book to the people who work for me.” Solomon said, before taking out a beige envelope from his stack of important documents. “Should I read out your report in turn, Mr. Kallin?”

Matheus’ smirk became a stern frown. “I’d much rather you got to the point. What do you want from me?”

“You talk too much. I want you to talk less.” Solomon curtly replied.

“I only talk as much as I need to in order to open people’s eyes.”

“By disturbing their peace and quiet?”

“PEACE?” Matheus scoffed at that. “You rule like a King sitting in his ivory tower, and you dare speak of peace? You have turned Arcadia into the world capital of Duel Monsters, and are even sponsoring a tournament every year, so that you can all celebrate about torturing innocent lives. THIS ISN’T A GAME!” The man practically roared like a beast, as he slammed both fists onto the desk.

“Stirring chaos in MY city isn’t a game EITHER!” Solomon roared back, slamming down his own fists with enough force to create tiny cracks on the mahogany surface. “I can punch desks too, if I want! Is this gonna become a contest of brute strength?”

Matheus’ eyes widened, as he saw the gemstones on Solomon’s rings glowing with otherworldly power, ten imposing, shadowy figures suddenly appearing behind him in a perfect line; Gigantic suits of armor wearing large, kingly capes. As suddenly as they had appeared, the mirage-like figures vanished. “You… you have Duel Spirits too…”

Solomon sighed longly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Duel Spirits, Mr. Kallin, are demons in disguise… They promise humans great power and take away everything they valued the most, like some kind of twisted Faustian bargain. The Monarchs gave me unfathomable riches. In only a few years, I turned a forgotten backwater town into the affluent metropolis you now see before you. But, the price I had to pay… is one that will forever haunt me.” The Arcadian Mayor said, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

After hearing all this, Matheus’ expression softened. “I want to believe that you’re a good man, Solomon. But, you’re mistaken. Not all Duel Spirits are like that.”

“I shall take no chances. None! The worlds of humans and Duel Spirits are best left separate, like they have been for so many years.” Solomon responded, looking back at the other man.

“If you want humans and Duel Spirits to truly live happily while separate from each other, there is a way to achieve that…” Matheus said, looking Solomon in the eye. “Cancel this tournament, and help me ban the game of Duel Monsters across the world. If anyone can pull such a feat, I believe it would be you.”

“Assuming I even had the power to ‘ban’ one of the most profitable games in the world, I wouldn’t do that.” Solomon sternly rejected the man’s offer. “This city profits almost exclusively from Duel Monsters. Taking that away would force thousands of men into unemployment. Men with families. And for what? Appealing to your personal sense of justice? I don’t think so… On the other hand, removing a couple of insurgents from the picture seems much safer and much less costly of a solution.”

Matheus frowned anew, his visage darkening to a dangerous degree. He rose from his chair, towering menacingly over the Scardigne heir. “Careful, Solomon… Threatening me will be the biggest mistake you’ll ever make.” He practically sneered like an animal.

Solomon met his terrifying gaze with a steely glare of his own, calmly calling for his business associate. “Elias, you may show Mr. Kallin outside. We have nothing left to discuss.”

Matheus didn’t need anyone to show him where the door was. He opted to walk out on his own instead. Before he left, he would cast one last, cold-blooded glance at Solomon.

“You have made a grave error…”


	6. Revenant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus Duels Kase Heiji, a mercenary hired by Solomon.

It had been a day since Matheus’ tense meeting with the Mayor of Arcadia. It was nighttime and the city streets were quiet. Almost too quiet… Matheus heard the distinct sound of a rustling engine approaching from the distance, but he did not budge from his spot, nor did he flinch when a large motorcycle pulled over in front of him. It was as if he had expected this would happen.

A very tall man dismounted the motorcycle. Easily seven feet tall. Asian in origin, judging by his slit eyes - which were noticeably completely white, lacking even pupils. He wore no biker helmet, letting his waist-length, white hair flow with the wind.

“Let me guess…” Matheus smirked. “You’re a Dueling mercenary sent by Solomon Scardigne to silence me.”

“Calling me a mercenary is wounding, but not untrue…” The Oriental giant impassively said, speaking with a slight accent. “Solomon wanted me to take you down discreetly, in the dark. But, I refuse to treat a fellow Duelist in such an underhanded manner.” His white eyes locked with the other man’s own. “This will be an official Arcadia Tournament Duel. Your opponent will be me… Kase Heiji!”

“Very well. I accept your challenge.” Matheus said, as he readied his Duel Disk. A chuckle escaped his lips. “Heh. Are you going to play this card game on your motorcycle?”

Kase shook his head. “As amusing as that would be, I won’t. It would be unfair, seeing as only one of us has a motorcycle to ride.”

“I guess so… But enough small talk. Let our actions speak for themselves!”

“DUEL!” Both men exclaimed in unison.

Kase moved first, and… he simply set a monster face-down and politely told Matheus to make his move. The X-Saber Duelist used his trademark mass-summoning style to swarm his field with armored Beast-Warriors, the first of which attacked Kase’s hidden monster, destroying it. The spectral image of what looked like an Eastern dragon flashed briefly into view. No, it wasn’t quite a Dragon…

“A Wyrm?”

“Not just any Wyrm. Yang Zing. Effect activate!”

Suddenly, a different Wyrm appeared on Kase’s field to replace the one that had fallen. And the process repeated itself… Matheus’ monsters kept attacking and destroying Kase’s own, only for his forces to constantly replenish themselves. A seemingly impenetrable defense against Matheus’ hyper offense. An immovable object against his unstoppable force.

“... and now, from the graveyard, the effect of Chiwen activates!”

On Kase’s next turn, a pale, ghost-like serpent was reborn, joining the rest of the reincarnated Yang Zing monsters on his field. And then, Kase’s monsters each turned into shining orbs of light representing their Levels. As a seasoned Duelist, Matheus knew what this meant very well…

“SYNCHRO SUMMON! Appear and come forth, dimensional dragon with beautiful wings! Whip up a whirlwind of great destruction! Level 7… Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!”

Harsh winds swiveled around the entire playing field, as a majestic white dragon of futuristic design made its striking entrance. “Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, attack!” Kase’s dragon let out an ear-splitting hiss, as it spread its fluorescent wings of emerald green, and finally unleashed a devastating stream of energy from its gaping maw.

Matheus lost a fair amount of Life Points from the attack, but he didn’t lose his footing; Like a stubborn, modern-day Benkei, he refused to fall to his knees. “Not bad… Now it’s MY turn!”

As if gaining a second wind, Matheus was able to fill his field with monsters anew, which all culminated into a decisive Synchro Summon of his own.

“SYNCHRO SUMMON! Come to me, first-borne and proud Commander of the X-Sabers! Level 9… XX-Saber Gottoms!”

The massive, armored frame of Lord Gottoms manifested beside Matheus. He stood tall and proud, holding his gigantic sword upside down like a cane, all the while his large red cape billowed with the wind. “Time for us to slay the dragon, my friend.”

Kase frowned at that word, though it wasn’t out of anger. He closed his eyes solemnly and hummed to himself. “Hmm, friend… I had a friend too once. A very long time ago… He was more dear to me than you could possibly imagine. However, my family… they didn’t approve of him. They judged us, they did not understand… And so, they put in motion the series of events that led to his death.”

The Heiji heir’s memories were given form… A grassy field under the moonlight. A young man garbed in traditional Japanese robes sitting alone under a cherry blossom tree. Sobbing.

“I was overcome by grief and despair. I could no longer bear to live without him… so I chose to end it all.”

Rain started falling. Water running down the man’s pained face, as he unsheathed a small blade. And the grass got stained by the color red…

Kase returned to reality.

“However, that was not to be the end…” The Eastern man opened his pupil-less white eyes. “My Duel Spirit, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, brought me back as a dreadful existence. Just as the Yang Zing can never be killed, I too became an unaging, undying revenant, forced to walk the Earth, never to find peace…”

“Why are you telling me all this?” Matheus asked, his expression having gotten more serious.

Kase’s lips curved into the slightest hint of a smile. “Because, in the last hundred years, I have seen humans achieve what was never before thought possible, yet at the same time wage wars against one another over the pettiest of pretense. But, what I had never seen until a few days ago, was someone speaking as passionately about Duel Spirits as you, Matheus Kallin… Your speech intrigued me. So much so, that I had to face you myself. Man to man.”

“I feel honored…” Matheus smiled warmly, as he raised his Duel Disk in front of him. “What say you we finish this then?”

Kase shook his head, smiling in turn. “We shall, but I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do. Gottoms may have higher Attack points, but a Synchro monster that used Bi’an as material cannot be destroyed by battle. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon is immortal… just like me.”

“Immortal, huh? Let’s put that to the test! BATTLE!” Matheus roared.

“Bring it on!” Kase shouted back at him, as if feeling genuine excitement for the first time after many, many years.

And so, the two Synchro monsters clashed time and time again… Turn after turn, the sword of Lord Gottoms collided with Clear Wing’s namesake appendages, one never truly destroying the other. Until, finally, a Life Point meter read zero…

“Looks like I miscalculated… I concede defeat.”

Matheus had won.

“For what it’s worth, it was a good game.” Matheus said, shaking Kase’s hand warmly.

“Likewise. I have no regrets.” Kase concurred, smiling soberly. “... though I suspect Solomon won’t be very happy when he hears I lost to you.”

“He’ll get upset, then he’ll send someone else to take me down. Isn’t that how it usually goes in comic books?” Matheus chuckled lightly.

Kase let go of the other man’s hand and looked up at the sky. “Yes, perhaps… You must think that Solomon is some kind of corrupt politician or tyrant. But, he’s a good man… a good friend.”

“I never said he wasn’t.”

“Well, in any case… I shall bear the burden of giving him the bad news.” Kase said, while making his way back to his motorcycle. As he mounted his massive mechanical beast of a vehicle, he looked back at Matheus one last time. “Farewell for now. I suspect this won’t be the last we see of each other. I fear that your feud with Solomon is going to end tragically for one of you. Frankly, I don’t think I favor either outcome…”

And with that, the monstrous engine purred loudly, and Kase Heiji drove off.

“A strange man he was… What do you make of him, Gottoms?” Matheus asked his trusty companion.

 _“An immortal human is more than simply strange.”_ The voice of Gottoms replied. _“I sensed no falsity in his words, but I suspect that he did not tell us his whole story.”_

“How so?”

_“Immortality is a common ability… in Duel Spirits.”_


	7. Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice Duels a mercenary called Xavier St. Croix.

Wondering why Matheus hadn’t returned home yet, Alice wandered the streets on her own that night. A dangerous choice for a helpless woman, not helped by her own meek, non-combative attitude. The citizens of Arcadia took pride in their strict law enforcement, but the truth was that the night belonged to the outlaws. Danger lurked in every dimly-lit corner, and the former waitress soon heard approaching footsteps…

“Oi! How long do I have to keep following you around?” Came a somewhat nasal voice. Stalking the girl like a vulture was a lanky man in a leather jacket. With his hands stuffed inside his pockets and a cigarette between his lips, he grinned menacingly.

“Who are you?” Alice asked, tensing up slightly.

“Xavier St. Croix, Dueling mercenary, pleased to meet you!” The man mockingly bowed.

“A mercenary… You’re a scum who does horrible things for money.” The dark-haired girl frowned.

“Yep, that’s me!” Xavier admitted without a hint of shame. “And it turns out you’re my latest target, Ms. Alice. Luckily, according to the Arcadia Tournament’s records, you’re not a registered Duelist.”

“Dueling hurts Duel Spirits, so I don’t do it.” Alice replied.

“Yeah yeah, I saw the big guy’s speech at Soldier’s Square.” The mercenary raised his hand to scratch his stubbled chin, revealing a tattoo shaped like a pair of angelic wings on it. “That just makes my job easier. Just follow me nicely, and I promise Solomon won’t touch one hair of that pretty head of yours. He just wants to talk to you.”

Alice pursed her lower lip and clenched her hands into fists that shook. “No. Matheus is… my… He’s my friend! Solomon is not my friend!” She finally spat out.

“Tch. So you wanna do this the hard way…” Xavier clicked his tongue.

“I don’t like it, but if it means protecting Matheus, then I’ll… I’ll Duel you!” Alice pulled a used Duel Disk out of her handbag and reluctantly activated it.

And so, they Dueled. Like Matheus, Alice also used a mass-summoning style. However, unlike Matheus’ tough-looking Beast-Warriors, Alice’s Madolche monsters were cute and cuddly, childlike creations named after various pastries and desserts. “... with Madolche Messengelato’s effect, I add Madolche Ticket to my hand.”

“How adorable… Your kiddie deck wouldn’t last long in this tournament anyway.” Xavier mocked her. His own deck was brutal in both appearance and playstyle… Darklords, high-level monsters based on fallen angels. His ace monster was a half-angel, half-demon humanoid in dark armor. “With Darklord Morningstar’s effect, I Special Summon Darklord Ixchel and Darklord Tezcatlipoca. Attack!”

“When destroyed by battle, Madolche monsters are returned to the deck instead of being sent to the graveyard.” Alice explained, while shuffling the cards back into her deck. “You’re safe… I won’t let you feel anymore pain…” She added in a weak whisper, as if apologizing to the cards themselves.

“That’s good and all, but you still take the damage.” Xavier pointed out, followed by a cry of pain from Alice, as her Life Point meter went down.

Meanwhile, at Endelphia’s headquarters, Solomon Scardigne was sitting in front of a shiny laptop screen, lack of sleep evident in his tired visage. His colleague walked in and, seeing him in that state, gently pushed a coffee mug on his desk. “You must be the only CEO I know who’s still working by 2 A.M.”

“And you must be the only shareholder I know who cares about the CEO’s sleep schedule.” Solomon replied with a weak smile, drinking from the mug. “Thank you, Elias.”

Elias gently patted the other man’s back. “I’ve known you for a long time, Solomon… Tell me, what’s wrong? Are you still looking into that Matheus Kallin person?”

“Not him… His accomplice, the one known as Alice.” The Scardigne heir explained.

Elias raised a curious eyebrow. “The girl that was seen with him at Soldier’s Square? What did you find out about her?”

“It’s not what I found… It’s what I didn’t find that concerns me.” The Mayor of Arcadia replied in a grave tone. “That girl might even prove more worrisome than Mr. Kallin himself…”

Pressured by Xavier’s aggressive playstyle, Alice began to hyperventilate, her terror evident as many menacing Darklords stared down at her. “I… It’s… my turn…” She stuttered, reaching for her deck with a shaky hand.

“Why don’t you save us both the trouble and surrender, sweetheart? A Duelist who’s afraid to even use her own monsters has no place here.” Xavier continued to taunt her, tossing his used cigarette butt aside.

Alice sunk to her knees, squirming and clutching her head with both hands. She contemplated what to do, while thinking back to the conversation she had with Gottoms back at Matheus’ apartment…

“How many battles have you fought, Lord Gottoms?”

_“When the Terminal still stood? Too many to count, Lady Alice…”_

“Were you ever afraid?”

_“Everyone has fears, Lady Alice. I feared not for my own life, but for what would happen to my comrades if I failed them. The other X-Sabers were like my children…”_

“Losing them must have been painful…”

_“It was… What do you fear, Lady Alice?”_

“I’m afraid… of myself.”

Suddenly, Alice’s eyes changed from their natural blue color into a vibrant gold. “No! We will not lose!” She declared, sounding as if many different voices spoke out of her mouth in unison. During her turn, she used the effects of her Spell cards to fill her field with new Madolche monsters, culminating in a spectacular Extra Deck summon. “We Xyz Summon Madolche Queen Tiaramisu, and activate her effect! The Queen commands your Darklord Morningstar and Darklord Tezcatlipoca to return to the deck.”

“B-but Morningstar cannot be targeted…” Xavier protested, but the buxom monarch sitting on her cake throne did not care for such restrictions, forcing both Fairy-types back into his deck regardless. “Argh! It doesn’t matter! By paying 1000 Life Points, Ixchel activates the effect of Darklord Rebellion from my graveyard. Say goodbye to your Queen!”

“You will do no such thing!” Alice roared, revealing her Counter Trap card. “By paying 1500 Life Points, we activate Solemn Strike! This is what happens when angels try to defy a God!”

“What the… When did you become good at this game?!” The mercenary blurted out, helpless as his monster was struck by divine lightning.

“Now, Madolche Queen Tiaramisu, end this with a direct attack!” The Madolche Duelist shouted at the top of her lungs, as her Xyz monster attacked Xavier’s empty field, reducing his Life Points to zero.

“Well, that was surprising.” Xavier casually said after the Duel was over, putting his cards back into his deck box. “Even a scum like me has some honor, so I’ve no choice but to leave you alone… for now.”

“Leave me… alone?” Alice muttered in a daze, her eyes returning to normal.

The Darklord Duelist grinned widely. “I’ll keep an eye on you, though. You and that Matheus guy sure are… interesting. Till next time!” With that, he turned on his heel and slowly walked off, disappearing into the darkness of the alleyway.

“Alice!” Another male voice soon sounded, as a worried-looking Matheus rushed to her aid, grasping her shoulders lightly. “Alice, what happened?”

“I… can’t remember…” The confused young woman replied.


	8. Prophecy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus and Alice visit Arcadia's Naturia Park, where they meet a new friend, along with some old enemies.

Matheus found himself alone in a dark alleyway. A high-pitched meowing caught his attention. Looking down at his feet, he saw a curious white kitten wearing what appeared to be a safety helmet. “Hey there, little buddy. Are you lost?”

The cat simply stared at him with its big eyes, purring lightly.

As he reached down to pet it, his world suddenly went black. He saw a terrible vision… A raging forest fire, a massive tree being consumed by infernal flames…

_“God is angry on your doing and want to bring fire flood.”_

Matheus’ eyes shot wide open and he gasped loudly, his entire body drenched in sweat.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Asked Alice, who was currently sitting on his abdomen, wearing one of his oversized T-shirts as she tended to do.

“Alice?! I thought we agreed that you’d sleep on the bed!” The young man blurted out, understandably flustered.

“I prefer sleeping with you.” Alice replied with the most casual shrug.

The X-Saber Duelist rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Okay, well… It’s just that if someone walked in right now, they could get the wrong idea.”

“Who would walk in? You have no friends other than me and Gottoms.” Alice pointed out, finally climbing off him.

The man’s lips curved into a smile.“That’s true… We should work on fixing that, shouldn’t we?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going to the park. To socialize.”

Arcadia’s Naturia Park was one of the largest urban parks in the world, widely known for its verdant beauty in an otherwise heavily industrialized metropolis. In the middle of a wide field of green where families had picnics and people indulged in sports activities, stood the park’s famous centerpiece; A seeming perfect replica of the Naturia Sacred Tree, seen in the artwork of the Duel Monsters card of the same name.

“This is it… The tree I saw in my dream.” Matheus said.

“Good. So, we’re not here to socialize after all.” Alice sighed in relief.

“I wouldn’t say that. It looks like we’re not the first to come here.” Matheus pointed at the base of the gigantic tree, where a man in wizardly robes sat cross-legged on the grass, shuffling through a pile of Tarot cards. “Hello, friend. Are you a roleplayer perchance?”

The man dressed up like a fantasy warlock looked up at him, shaking his head in response. “My family takes magic very seriously, Matheus Kallin… I witnessed your speech. My name is William Tarott.”

“Nice to meet you, William.” Matheus sat down, facing the young fortune-teller. “So, what do your cards tell you? Anything good for the future?” He asked.

William revealed the top card from his pile. “Twenty One, The World. The same card I drew back at Soldier’s Square.”

“The World, huh…” Matheus stroked his chiseled chin.

“The World means assured success, but in reverse it means stagnation.” William explained. “It represents the end of a life cycle, and the start of a new one.”

“Destruction and Rebirth…” Alice muttered, sitting next to Matheus.

“The cards never lie…” William traded his Tarot deck for a proper deck of Duel Monsters cards, which he began to shuffle. “Last night, they foretold a terrible disaster connected to this very tree.”

Matheus solemnly nodded, getting up and placing his palm against the ancient tree’s bark. The spectral figure of Commander Gottoms manifested behind him, mimicking his exact gesture. “‘Tis worse than I thought… The Naturia Sacred Tree is slowly dying.” The armored knight said.

“What?” Alice’s eyes widened.

“It’s true. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon felt it too.” Came a new voice, as an incredibly tall, Eastern man approached their group.

“Kase Heiji?” A surprised Matheus turned to face him.

“You know this man?” Alice asked.

“We’ve Dueled.” Kase was the one to reply.

“So, you do know each other.” William said with a nod.

“Don’t forget about me!” Xavier St. Croix caught up to the white-haired motorcyclist.

“Xavier…” Alice glared daggers at the scrawny mercenary. “We don’t have time to deal with you two.”

“Indeed you don’t. This is bigger than all of us…” Kase concurred, looking up at the tree. “Just this once, we should work together.”

Xavier spat his own cigarette out in his shock. “H-hold on! Those aren’t Solomon’s orders!”

“The Naturia Sacred Tree needs our help now.” Kase calmly replied, picking the cigarette off the ground. “Solomon can wait.”

A few minutes later, William Tarott had laid an intricate tapestry on the ground that was covered in arcane symbols. “The Naturia Sacred Tree is one of many anchors that connect the Human World to the Spirit World. To reach its roots would be to enter a different plane of existence.”

“Why on Earth did I let you rope me into this…” A very skeptical Xavier muttered.

“We will need the proper ritual in order to cross over.” The young magician further explained. “This represents The World card.” He pointed at the tapestry. “The four beasts in its corners represent the four elements, with the woman in the center being the fifth element. What would another word for ‘beast’ be?”

“Monster…” Matheus’ eyebrows rose. “I get it. We will have to use our monster cards as the keys!”

“How did you come to that conclusion?!” Xavier exclaimed. “All I’m hearing is a bunch of mystical mumbo jumbo!”

“It makes perfect sense.” Kase interjected. “You may not believe it, Xavier, but every monster card has a Duel Spirit residing within it. Even your Darklords.”

“Yeah, I can see the giant ghost knight, thank you very much!” Xavier retorted, pointing at Gottoms. “That doesn’t mean I believe that a bunch of trading cards can open a door to an alternate dimension!”

“Actually, it’s a parallel world.” William nervously raised his finger. “Alternate dimensions are a different thing entirely.”

“There is no use debating this!” Matheus interrupted their quarrel. “You can have my XX-Saber Gottoms.” He placed his card onto the tapestry.

“And my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon.” Kase added, placing his own card in turn.

“And my… Madolche Queen Tiaramisu.” Alice placed her card in the middle.

“And my axe! Ow!” Xavier joked, only to be smacked upside the head by Kase. “Fiiine! You can have my Darklord Morningstar.”

“And finally, my ace monster, World of Prophecy.” William said, revealing the signature monster card from his Spellbook deck.

With all the pieces in place, the magician chanted a lengthy incantation in a long forgotten language… But nothing happened. “Hmm, this is strange.”

“Hah! I told you guys it wouldn’t work!” Xavier scoffed.

“Maybe the placement is slightly off… Give me a few minutes, please. I’ll figure this out.” William pleaded, to which the group exchanged a few looks, before giving him some needed space.

While waiting for William to fine-tune his ritual, Matheus, Kase and Xavier stood by a small lake, awkwardly staring at each other.

Eventually, Xavier broke the silence. “Sooo… What’s the deal with you, Synchro-brain? Are you blind?” He waved his hand in front of Kase’s white, pupil-less eyes. “And why are you so tall? I thought Asian dudes were supposed to be small.”

Kase merely sighed. “I hope William finishes his preparations soon…”

“Me too.” Matheus nodded.

Meanwhile, Alice approached the Spellbook user. “I know why your ritual didn’t work.” She confided in him. “The woman in the center of The World actually represents Wisdom.” She said, taking back her Madolche Queen Tiaramisu card.

“I see… And Wisdom in Greek is known as…” William covered his mouth in shock, as Alice revealed to him a card that wasn’t part of her Madolche deck.

“You cannot tell anyone about this!”

The Naturia Sacred Tree suddenly rumbled, thick vines moving aside to reveal a hollow big enough to fit an entire truck through it. “Good news, everyone. The ritual worked! Here, you can have your cards back.”

“Thank you, William.” Matheus nodded in gratitude, noticing that Alice had already retrieved hers.

“I can’t believe it…” Xavier stared at the gaping tree hollow in utter bewilderment.

“We cannot afford to lose anymore time!” Gottoms said in his commanding voice.

“The more we stall, the more the tree suffers.” Alice added, her usually shy disposition replaced by newfound resolve.

“I’ve been to the other side once before…” Kase Heiji said, his large frame tensing up. “You’d best prepare for a rough ride.”

“Brace yourselves, children!” Gottoms roared.

And they all made the jump together, into the unknown.


	9. Abandon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matheus and his allies fend off the Dark World's forces.

Matheus slowly came to, his eyes trying to adjust to the light… only to discover that there was no light to be found. Instead, there was a dark, perpetually stormy sky over a barren wasteland. “Where… are we?”

“Ugh! I feel like I’m gonna throw up.” Xavier groaned, as he groggily got up.

“You’ll get used to it.” Said Kase, who was already standing, totally unfazed.

“How could this be…” William muttered in a dumbfounded state.

“Is this the inside of the Naturia Sacred Tree?” Alice asked.

“No. This is… the Dark World.” Answered Gottoms, towering over everyone.

“Lord Gottoms… you’ve gained form!” Alice smiled in joy, placing her hand on the X-Saber commander’s armor.

“Yes, Lady Alice.” The giant knight kneeled down and stroked the girl’s raven hair with a single finger.

“So, a Gateway to the Dark World had manifested inside the tree…” William mused out loud.

“No wonder it was sick. I’d be dying too, if I had THIS inside of me!” Xavier gestured vaguely at their gloomy surroundings.

Kase’s pupil-less eyes suddenly narrowed. “We are not alone.”

Indeed, a man dressed up like a traditional bard approached them. “Greetings, travelers. I’m Virgil. I shall act as your guide.” He introduced himself, strumming his stylized electric guitar.

“Okay.” Matheus responded, not questioning it.

As the group followed Virgil’s guidance, they would soon find out how desolate the Dark World truly was; There were no variations in the landscape other than endless crags and rugged hills. There were chasms so deep that, if one threw a rock in them, they would never hear the sound of it reaching the bottom. Nothing grew on the ground, and despite thunderclouds constantly looming in the sky, not a single raindrop fell anywhere.

“Your name is Virgil, huh?” Xavier tried to break the ice, as it were. “Like in that book, right? What was it called again?”

“Dante’s Inferno… ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’” Matheus quoted.

“Many old stories, you will find, are based on real events.” Virgil replied, half his visage obscured by his very large hat. “There was indeed a man named Dante, and I did guide him through a realm very similar to this one, but the events that transpired were different than what was written in that book.”

“That man… was he a human?” Gottoms asked.

“He was…” Virgil played a low note on his guitar. “Perhaps that is why I was eager to help you lot. Most other Duel Spirits are not fond of humans, especially if they’re Duelists.”

“I can imagine why…” Matheus frowned.

“Do you know why the Dark World has infected the Naturia Sacred Tree?” William asked their chatty guide.

“I don’t know everything.” Virgil admitted. “The Lord of the Dark World can be quite… capricious. Not even his own underlings know what’s on his mind.”

Their chit-chat was interrupted by a monstrous hand emerging from the ground and grabbing Alice’s leg by the ankle, who screamed sharply. The creature that hand was attached to soon burst out; A decaying, walking corpse comprised of many different animal body parts.

Kase immediately sprung into action. He threw a powerful right hook at the Plaguespreader Zombie, purple goo flying out of its skull as it cracked open, then he caught a falling Alice into a princess carry.

“T-thank you…”

“It was nothing.”

“Nothing?! You just took a zombie out with your bare fist!” A flabbergasted Xavier exclaimed.

“I was wearing gloves.” Kase humbly replied, letting Alice back down, and showing off his fingerless gloves.

“Emergency! Emergency!” A lanky, jester-like figure with floating limbs suddenly appeared out of thin air. “Humans in the Dark World! How unfortunate… FOR THEM!” It cackled maniacally.

“Call off your forces, Krebons!” Virgil stepped in front of the group. “These humans are merely here to have an audience with Grapha.”

The futuristic clown flashed a toothy grin. “No can do! Lord Grapha has a very busy schedule. Get them, boys!”

Two menacing figures manifested near Krebons. One was a dark-haired knight in rusty armor, wearing goggles and a tattered, red scarf. The other was a musclebound warrior clad in black leather, with grey skin and glowing red eyes.

“I’m afraid I cannot assist you in this fight. I am but a guide, after all. That is my only role.” Virgil said, strumming his guitar once again.

“Fine by me.” Matheus unsheathed his antique broadsword. He cast a sideways glance at the rest of his allies. “Remember, don’t kill them. They’re Duel Spirits. Are you ready, Gottoms?”

“Always! Remember your training, Matheus.” The old, wise knight replied.

“I will!” The X-Saber Duelist charged forward with a loud battle cry, his blade being parried by that of the Armageddon Knight. Already he could tell that his opponent was physically superior, as the mere impact of their swords clashing shook his entire body. “You Duel Spirits sure are strong!” He said with a wide, adrenaline-fueled grin.

Dark Grepher tried to attack the human’s blind spot, while laughing like a madman. However, Gottoms struck him in the chest with the pommel of his sword, sending him flying and crashing into a giant boulder.

Krebons sassily wagged his finger. “Don’t get too cocky. There’s more where that came from. Go, Malicious!”

Three hulking, triple-horned ogres descended from the sky, flying on large, bat-like wings.

Xavier squinted his eyes. “Aren’t those HERO monsters?”

“They won’t be for long.” William said, producing what looked like a magic wand from his wizardly robes. “Abrahadabra!” His spell commanded lightning itself, striking two of the airborne Maliciouses, who were damaged just enough to lose interest in their prey and fly away.

The third Malicious, having avoided the lightning, swooped down on the young magician, only to be met face-first with Kase’s fist. The tall biker proceeded to grab the ogre by the horns and swing its body around, before hurling it towards the same boulder Dark Grepher had been tossed into.

“Okay, seriously! What kind of steroids do you take!?” Xavier yelled at him.

Finally, using his quicker reflexes, Matheus managed to knock Armageddon Knight’s sword away. Despite most of his face being covered, the post-apocalyptic warrior was clearly surprised, maybe even impressed that the human had disarmed him. It was then, however, that an earthshaking roar was heard…

“Kekeke! Now you’ve gone and made Big Daddy mad!” Krebons snickered evilly.

A massive hand emerged from the nearest chasm, grabbing the helpless Armageddon Knight and utterly crushing him under its powerful claws. An even more massive, black dragon appeared, covered partially in metallic armor. Its entire body was like a weapon, with spikes, drills and excess blades adorning its draconian frame, while its long tail was shaped like a spiked mallet.

“We are so dead!” Xavier gulped. “Can you shoot lightning at it too, magic boy?”

“I’m just a novice. Some things are beyond my power…” An equally frightened William replied.

The Dark Armed Dragon glared at the humans, before shooting a stream of black fire out of its gaping mouth. For a moment, it looked like it was all over, until Kase shielded them with his body. Only he looked slightly different than the Kase they knew… His coat had come off, revealing luminous white skin and a pair of green, fluorescent wings sprouting from his back. He repelled the dragon’s attack back at it, forcing the beast to reel back in pain.

“Unbelievable… A human fused with a Duel Spirit!” Gottoms gasped.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you, my friend!” Matheus added.

“I suppose I couldn’t have kept it a secret forever.” The newly transformed Kase smiled at them, revealing a row of sharp teeth. “Now’s your chance! Finish this!”

“Let’s go, Gottoms!” Matheus and his Duel Spirit companion both lunged at the still recovering Dark Armed Dragon, simultaneously swiping their blades in an ‘X’ pattern. With green acid oozing from its sliced up chest, the beast groaned in pain, slowly falling back into the bottomless crevice, until its gargantuan form vanished into the darkness. The human dropped on one knee, panting in exhaustion afterwards, his head soaked in sweat.

He wasn’t sweating as much as Krebons, though. “W-what… How… Who are you people?!” The Psychic clown cried out in horror.

The X-Saber Duelist glanced back at Alice, William, and even Kase and Xavier. He smiled widely. “We are the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one! We are THE WORLD!”

After forcing Krebons to flee, the newly named group ventured deeper into the treacherous Dark World, finding their way to where they needed to be thanks to their guide Virgil, who even played a rocking song on his guitar to make their trip more entertaining. Having just beaten a formidable foe, they were in pretty high spirits. That changed when they reached the heart of the Dark World, a desolate valley surrounded by towering pillars, where the atmosphere was most foreboding.

“Who dares enter my domain?” A deep voice boomed, spreading across all corners of this forsaken land. The storm clouds split open, as a gigantic figure slowly descended from the black void in the sky, hanging upside down like a bat; A behemoth-esque dragon with obsidian scales and a skeletal face.

“Do not let your guard down. This Duel Spirit is more powerful than anything you have faced before.” Commander Gottoms warned the humans.

“Many tried to defeat me, I adorned my head in their skulls. Many tried to overthrow me, they were brought to me in chains. To face me is to know true despair. To defy me is to know oblivion.” The giant dragon spread its ultra-massive wings, righting its position and landing on top of one of the pillars with a resounding crash.

“I am Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World! Your journey ends here!”


	10. Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The World face off against Grapha.

A foreboding silence permeated the massive valley, interrupted only by the occasional roaring of thunder. Reactions to Grapha’s presence varied; There was visible fear from the likes of William Tarott and Xavier, anger from Alice, an unreadable expression from Kase, and finally defiance from Matheus, who pointed his blade towards the fiendish dragon.

“Tell me, Grapha! Why did you have your Dark World infect the Naturia Sacred Tree?”

Grapha’s eyes shone with overwhelming malice. “I do not answer to you or your ilk.”

“So, you admit your guilt.” Alice sneered, clenching her fists. “You admit to hurting an innocent tree!”

“What’s gotten into her?” Xavier wondered, scratching his head in confusion.

Matheus’ expression hardened. “Listen to me well, Grapha! We, The World, have proven that we value the lives of Duel Spirits. We defeated your subordinates, but did not kill them. We believe in peace. But, if you insist on seeing us as enemies… then strike me down with all you’ve got!”

“I shall!” The Dragon Lord roared, hurling an orb of condensed dark energy at the human.

“Matheus, you’re a madman!” Kase yelled, as he stepped in and deflected the dark orb with his emerald wings. “That attack could have killed you!”

“I know.” The young man replied, not having moved an inch from his spot. “That means we won’t have to hold anything back.”

The orb was sent flying back to Grapha, who easily swatted it away with one of his large wings. It ended up landing on some mountain far off in the distance and completely devastating it. “A human wielding the power of a Duel Spirit… How sickening!”

“William, keep Alice safe!” Matheus ordered the novice magician, while taking a combat-ready stance. “Kase, will you help me?”

The human-Duel Spirit hybrid smiled warmly. “Of course. We still have a tree to save.”

The X-Saber Duelist smiled back. “Gottoms… Let’s slay another dragon, my friend!”

And so, they entered battle. A human, a Duel Spirit, and a man who was both. They valiantly fought against the Dragon Lord with everything they had! Yet, despite their seeming advantage in numbers, they quickly found themselves outmatched by Grapha’s ruthless offense…

Kase’s special powers allowed him to redirect any attack of a magical nature aimed at them, but did nothing against physically-oriented attacks, such as when the Dragon Lord lunged at them with his nasty claws.

Conversely, Gottoms’ armor was built to last in a battle of attrition, and his sword could parry most melee strikes, but he was a sitting duck against long-ranged attacks, being too slow and bulky to dodge them.

As for Matheus… He was powerless to do much of anything, yet refused to back down. He was like a contemporary David fighting against Goliath, only instead of a lucky slingshot, he was armed with an ordinary sword that couldn’t even graze the dragon’s tough scales.

“You call yourselves ‘The World’? How pathetic!” Grapha slapped Kase with his massive tail, which sent the hybrid flying through multiple stone pillars. A swirling mass of energy built up in the beast’s gaping mouth. “Humanity is weak! Leave my sight!” The Dragon Lord commanded, shooting down a beam of darkness so powerful, it destroyed everything around it, reducing the terrain itself to rubble.

“Matheus, look out! Argh!” Gottoms shielded his human companion with his body, groaning in pain as he took the full brunt of Grapha’s most destructive attack.

“Gottoms!” Matheus shouted.

“Lord Gottoms!” Alice let out a gut-wrenching cry from the distance.

The giant knight collapsed on his knees, his armor heavily damaged and his cape singed. “Weep not, children… ‘Twas inevitable…”

“You have failed, Gottoms.” Grapha gloated, landing on the ground with a resounding thud. “You have failed your task of protecting these weak humans.”

“I have not!” The X-Saber commander roared with the last of his strength. “My task… was to guide this young man… To help him realize his destiny!” He reached for the shiny blue core in his chest, tearing it out with his own hand. “Matheus… my child… Take my soul! Become who you were destined to be! CARRY ON OUR LEGACY!”

As soon as Matheus touched the glowing sphere, all of Gottoms’ energy - his very essence - poured into his body. Memories of countless battlefields were uploaded into his brain, becoming his own. The silver cross that hung from his neck tilted sideways, becoming an ‘X’. His shirt tore open, as his already formidable physique was boosted beyond human parameters.

When the merge had concluded, Gottoms’ body was nowhere to be found. In Matheus’ place, a tanned, musclebound giant of a man stood. Wearing parts of Gottom’s armor, his torn cape, and wielding two identical clones of his sword, this new, imposing figure posed proudly.

“Another hybrid?! Who are you?” Grapha let out a guttural growl.

“I am the last successor of the Kallin bloodline, descendants of the last surviving X-Saber warriors! For many generations, our mission has been the same… The end of conflict and the liberation of all Duel Spirits!” The new and improved Matheus declared, crossing his blades together to form an ‘X’. “I am… X-SABER SOUZA!”

“It is done…” Alice’s right eye momentarily flickered from blue to gold. “He is the one that was promised to us. The one who will bring a new order by the might of his sword. The one we are bound to… now and for evermore.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Grapha prepared to fire another beam of darkness from his open mouth. “You will die here, X-Saber Souza. Your former guardian’s sacrifice will be for nothing!”

“I don’t think so!” Souza roared as he swung his two swords in unison, cutting through the devastating blast of dark energy with ease, much to the Dragon Lord’s bewilderment.

“Impossible! No half-baked Duel Spirit could survive an attack like this!”

Souza’s lips curved into a near lunatic smile. “Don’t you know what The World stands for? Assured success, which means that my victory has already been decided. It also has a reverse meaning… STAGNATION!”

Every color turned negative, Grapha freezing like a statue, as if time had stopped moving. With his opponent immobilized, a still moving Souza sprung into action, combining the sheer strength of Gottoms with the nimbleness and agility of his human self, in order to rapidly deliver a series of slashes all over the dragon’s huge body.

When time corrected itself, the once unbeatable Lord of the Dark World collapsed on the ground, covered in dozens of deep scars that oozed black acid. “How can… this be…”

Sheathing his tainted swords behind his back, Souza slowly walked to the fallen Kase Heiji, offering his hand to help him up. “We did it, my friend. We saved the tree.”

Kase smiled bitterly. “Indeed, we saved the tree… Sadly, this puts an end to our fleeting alliance.” Their hands touched, sending a crippling shock throughout Souza’s body, which robbed him of his strength.

“Argh! How could you…” Souza toppled over, trying in vain to get up after all his newfound power had been drained.

Kase looked down at him and sighed. “Make no mistake. Fighting alongside you has truly been an honor, but I’ve still made a promise to Solomon.”

“About time!” Xavier choked the life out of an unsuspecting William, who soon passed out from oxygen deprivation.

The winged revenant landed in front of Alice, surprising her with his inhuman speed. “I really am sorry for this…” He said, knocking the girl out with a single chop to the back of her neck.

“Wait, you’re not gonna kill him?” Xavier asked, visibly confused.

Kase looked back towards Souza with a saddened expression. He shook his head. “It’s not the honorable thing to do.”

“And hitting a helpless woman somehow is?” The scrawny mercenary pointed out.

“You wouldn’t understand…”

“You’re right, I don’t. Explain it to me!”

“My spell can only keep him down for so long. We need to leave.” The Yang Zing Duelist finally said, hoisting Alice’s unconscious body over his shoulder. “Take my hand.”

And they both flew away at supersonic speed, leaving the Dark World in the blink of an eye. With one ally taken away and another put out of commission, the X-Saber successor shook with rage, breaking through the depowering spell by sheer force of will. He scowled hard, gritting his perfectly white teeth, while his fingers dug into the ground.

“Solomon…”


	11. Nevermore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice has been kidnapped by Solomon. Souza goes to rescue her.

Several minutes passed since Alice had been kidnapped by Solomon’s two mercenaries. William had just come to, and was deeply sorrowful. “I’m sorry, Matheus… I mean Souza. Everything happened too fast. If only I was more experienced, I could have foreseen it.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” A seemingly stoic X-Saber Souza reassured him, while sharpening his two swords against a rock.

“I take it that you will set out to rescue your friend, just like Dante set out to reunite with Beatrice.” Their guide Virgil approached them. “Time is of the essence. Fortunately for you, there is a way to return to the Human World very quickly.” As he said that, a glowing orb of light emerged from Grapha’s lifeless husk of a body, which soon turned into a deck of Duel Monsters cards that landed in Souza’s palm. “This deck that the Dragon Lord kept to himself is the very soul of the Naturia Sacred Tree. As someone who swore to protect the tree, it is only fair that you should have it.”

“Ritual Beast…” Souza read the top card out loud, causing it to shine brilliantly. A giant, majestic eagle materialized before him, its wings and talons made out of lightning.

“You will find no faster flyer than Ulti-Cannahawk. He will take you to where you need to be in no time.” Virgil explained.

“Very well. We’ll leave ourselves in your care.” Souza said, gently petting the eagle’s neck, before jumping on top of its back. “Come, William. Let us pay a visit to our dear friend Solomon.” He sneered.

Once the two of them had flown out of the Dark World on their newfound flying steed, Virgil slowly walked up to Grapha’s corpse, while playing a macabre tune on his guitar. “Alas, poor Grapha. You had one job, and you failed miserably.” The bard pulled his oversized hat over his eyes, grinning ominously. “Still, I might have yet another use for you…”

“When did you plan to tell me?” Solomon Scardigne asked in a melancholic tone, while gazing outside his penthouse’s window. “... that you were fused with a Duel Spirit? And don’t give me any of that ‘You didn’t ask’ nonsense!”

Kase Heiji was sitting on top of the bed, having retracted his wings into his back. Upon hearing Solomon’s inquiry, he ran a hand through his long, white hair and sighed. “To tell you the truth, I was worried that you might think of me as a monster…”

The Arcadian Mayor’s expression softened. “Don’t say that… Have I ever told you how I became CEO of the Endelphia Conglomerate?” He said, sitting next to the Yang Zing Duelist. “It happened over fifteen years ago. I was young back then, hopeful and idealistic. That idealism was lost the day I found out how my family had made their fortune; War profiteering.” The Scardigne heir exposited, while staring vacantly at the wall. “My father David was a despicable man who ruined many lives. However, that does not excuse my actions… I was furious. I had been lied to by my own family. That was when my Duel Spirits first appeared to me.” He further explained, looking down at the ten rings on his fingers. “Like their card game counterparts, the Monarchs required a Tribute, so I made an extremely impulsive decision… I sacrificed my entire family to them. I have regretted that decision ever since… So you see, my friend, you’re not a monster… I am.”

Kase was at a loss for words after hearing Solomon’s tragic tale. Unable to come up with any comforting things to say, he simply held the other man’s hand, who in turn sobbed quietly…

A few minutes later, Solomon steeled himself as he approached the next room, intent on not letting his human vulnerabilities show before his esteemed guest. There, sitting behind a long dining table with a full plate of colorful, Parisian-style macarons in front of her, was none other than Alice. “You haven’t even touched your food yet. Are French confections not to your liking?” The Mayor of Arcadia asked in an affable tone.

“I’m not hungry.” The former waitress curtly replied.

Solomon chuckled softly at that. “Pardon me. I just found it humorous that you wouldn’t have a sweet tooth, given your name and all… Ms. Alice Clafoutis.”

“What’s so funny about that?” The girl furrowed her brow. “It’s just my name.”

“Wrong!” Solomon slapped a beige envelope unto the table. “That’s just one more entry in your long list of names. Alice Stone, Alice Eucliwood, Alice Blackwing… Then again, that’s no surprise, seeing how you moved from one foster family to the next.” He went on the offensive, slowly pacing behind Alice’s chair and looming over her. “Screaming at random, attacking people unprovoked, having psychotic episodes that scared the life out of your foster parents… It seems nobody wanted to keep you around for more than a year.”

Alice clutched the seams of her dress tightly, almost tearing the fabric with her fingers.

“A psychiatrist once tried to use hypnotherapy to figure out what was wrong with your head. The result was what he described as - and I quote - ‘Being possessed by a demon.’ So much for a scientific diagnosis…” Solomon said, prying the envelope open and reading said psychiatrist’s report. “In that state, you referred to yourself by an alias you’d never used before, and haven’t used since. What I can only assume was your true name…”

“Don’t say it…”

“Alice.”

“Stop!”

“Nevermore.”

Her lungs practically exploded, letting out an ear-splitting scream that shattered all of the penthouse’s window panes at once. Amidst a mess of broken glass shards and knocked down furniture, Alice’s body started to float, her limbs flailing like a doll’s. She looked down at Solomon with glowing eyes of gold, and spoke with many voices. “We are Alice Nevermore, avatar of the Goddess. Argh…” The woman winced, as she suddenly stopped levitating and collapsed on the floor. “Our powers… What is happening?”

A triumphant smirk graced Solomon’s face. “Nice try, but you chose the wrong place to unveil your little parlor tricks. This entire building is protected by the Vanity Triad. No-one can break through the effects of those three Fiends… not even a ‘Goddess’.”

Alice clenched her fists, her eyes alternating between gold and blue. “You whelp…”

Outside, in the Endelphia building’s courtyard, the statues of three androgynous humanoids stood: Vanity’s Fiend, Majesty’s Fiend and Vanity’s Ruler. A single slash cut through their necks, lopping all three of their heads off simultaneously.

Alice’s lips peeled to reveal an unhinged, psychotic smile. “Looks like someone did break through them!” Her body levitated once more, shining inwardly so much that the light burned away her clothes, replacing them with an elaborate, Greco-Roman gown that wrapped itself around her slender form, which was additionally decked in jewelry. Her hair grew longer, half of it being painted white, while the other half remained black. “Let us try this again. Our name is Alice Nevermore, avatar of Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth!”

The very ground started to shake, violently. “What’s this?! An earthquake?” Solomon tried to keep his footing steady, all the while Alice laughed maniacally. His communicator started beeping, a static-filled voice coming out of it.

“Mr. Mayor! Something… happening in… Naturia Park! The tree is--” The signal was lost, ending the call.

“What have you done!” The Scardigne heir furiously yelled at the possessed woman.

“All will be revealed in due time, foolish king.” Alice stopped laughing, but still remained disturbingly giddy. “What we did is the least of your problems…”

Suddenly, the door burst wide open. The mountain of muscle known as X-Saber Souza barged in, accompanied by the magician William Tarott.

“Solomon Scardigne! You have something that belongs to me!”


	12. Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon is humiliated by The World.

As the ground slowly but surely stopped shaking, Solomon stared aghast at this hulking, somewhat familiar figure that had barged into the room uninvited. “Matheus Kallin… is that you? So, Heiji was telling the truth… You really did fuse with your Duel Spirit.” His shocked expression gave way to a deep scowl. “How did you bypass the Vanity Triad’s protection?”

“You have your tricks, Solomon, and I have mine.” Souza simply replied.

“Our dear Souza, you kept us waiting.” The newly transformed Alice giggled. Her bare feet made contact with the floor, stepping on broken glass without being cut by it. “What do you think of our true form? Aren’t we beautiful?” She did a twirl around herself, her black and white hair flowing behind her in a mesmerizing dance.

“You look great!” Souza gave an approving thumbs up.

Solomon loudly harrumphed. “Hmph! You can have your psychotic friend back. I have everything I need recorded in my security cameras.” He said, gesturing to the walls. “Once the people see you two for the unstable freaks that you are, they’ll never listen to your rousing speeches again. Your troublesome campaign against Dueling is as good as over!”

Souza’s frown slowly turned into a smile, before he broke into a bout of hearty laughter. “Do you really think we care about our public image? Or do you assume that everyone is a conniving, crowd-pleasing politician like you? The time for speeches is over. Speaking of, you might want to check the news.”

A confused Solomon turned his holographic TV set on to an urgent newscast. His eyes immediately widened at what he saw. “What is that thing?!”

A giant floating construct loomed over Arcadia… It was the Naturia Sacred Tree, having been uprooted and now held aloft by an unseeable force. A large chunk of its ancient bark had been peeled off, revealing a bizarre geometrical structure hidden under it; Ten colorful spheres connected together by intertwining lines, with ten more spheres of their inverse colors tangled between the tree’s large roots.

All but one of the tree’s spheres glowed with otherworldly, supernatural power, its mere existence distorting space around it. Thousands of civilians craned their heads up, staring in horror at that which they could not comprehend.

“How do you like our Oracle of Zefra?” Alice chuckled.

“Zefra…?” Solomon muttered, still mortified.

“Zefra, our real deck. Sophia’s loyal servants. Their powers had been sealed inside the Naturia Sacred Tree for millennia.” The goddess avatar explained, as she pranced over to Souza, standing by his side. “Thousands of years ago, when Sophia was defeated by two warriors of Light and Dark, she made a pact with Lord Gottoms, the first and last of the X-Sabers… That one day his successor would help her awaken and do what must be done. In turn, Sophia prepared a vessel for herself, and sent it into the future. That vessel’s name was Alice Nevermore.”

“I didn’t know it at the time, but my good mentor Gottoms prepared me for this ever since I was a child.” Souza said, solemnly closing his eyes. “He knew that one day fate would bring me to this girl.”

“As Matheus, his voice failed to reach the people of this sinful city.” Alice added. “As Souza, using the Oracle of Zefra as a symbol of our unmatched power, he can force them to change their ways, whether they like it or not.”

Solomon’s face became a mask of unbridled fury. “You will NOT threaten my citizens! Duel me this instant, both of you!” He demanded, strapping a Duel Disk around his wrist.

Alice cackled once more. “Why should we soil our hands playing your barbaric game? With our powers awakened, we could crush you like a bug right now!”

“I could Duel him.” William volunteered, raising his hand.

“I have a better idea…” Souza said, noticing a certain lanky individual trying to sneak out of the room. “Going somewhere, Xavier?”

“M-me?! I was about to ask Solomon what was up with that earthquake earlier, but seeing how he has guests, I’ll see myself out!” The mercenary claimed, sweating profusely.

Souza grabbed him by the collar and tossed him into the floor. “If you want a Duel, Solomon, you will get one. But, it will be against your own ally.”

“Giving Duelists a taste of their own poison… Making them fight each other for our entertainment. This should be good!” Alice shook with excitement.

The Mayor of Arcadia looked down at Xavier without a hint of sympathy. “Fine. On one condition… Not if, but WHEN I win, you will get that Oracle - whatever it is - out of my city!”

“Of course. Care to shake on it?” Souza offered, extending his beefy arm.

“Gladly.” Solomon nodded, stepping forward and shaking the man’s hand.

“Excellent…” The X-Saber successor smiled like Mephistopheles himself.

It became apparent early on that their Duel was going to be very one-sided. As a Dueling mercenary, Xavier excelled at picking on weaker targets. Against a seasoned opponent like Solomon Scardigne, he quickly found himself on the receiving end of a brutal beatdown, losing his monsters one by one, being locked out of his already limited Extra Deck, and even his Spell and Trap lineup being demolished, leaving him with no way of defending himself.

“... and now, I offer Caius the Shadow Monarch as Tribute, in order to summon Caius the Mega Monarch!” Solomon declared, as the armored figure on his side of the field doubled in size, extra long horns growing on its head and armor. With its oppressive aura, this shadowy behemoth could aptly be called a tyrant.

“When Caius the Mega Monarch is Tribute Summoned using a Dark-Attribute monster as Tribute, he can banish 2 cards on the field and inflict 1000 points of damage to your Life Points for each!” Solomon explained, before throwing his hand forward and shouting at the top of his lungs. “Caius the Mega Monarch, banish Darklord Ukoback and Darklord Superbia, and end this Duel!”

Souza slowly clapped after the spectacle was over, a toothy grin permeating his chiseled features. “And to think I planned to let you go if you lost…”

“What do you mean? Huh?” Solomon felt a sudden numbness in his right hand, which unexpectedly started glowing, like a flashing light going on and off. “What is happening?!”

“Have you ever heard of this card?” The X-Saber successor revealed a monster card in his hand: A white kitten wearing a safety helmet. Rescue Cat. “It is particularly powerful in an X-Saber deck. One could call her the uncrowned X-Saber Queen! She enables combos some would call… explosive. You see, while you thought you were Dueling to win, what you were actually doing was powering up the bomb I placed in your hand!”

“When we shook hands…” The Scardigne heir gasped. He then gritted his teeth so hard, his gums turned white. “You bastard!”

“In 30 seconds, the bomb will go off. You will not survive.” Souza added. “There is but one way to stop it… Pledging your eternal allegiance to The World!”

“NEVER!” The Monarch user snarled. One of the gemstones on his rings suddenly shone with sinister purple light. “Caius! Banish it!”

A small portal appeared in the air, leading to a chaotic dimension of non-Euclidean geometry. As quickly as it had appeared, the portal closed around Solomon’s wrist, followed by a blood-curdling scream. The Arcadian Mayor promptly collapsed on his knees.

“You dare mock The World?!” Alice spat, materializing two adjacent orbs of light and darkness in her hands. “If you would rather lose your hand than join us, then DIE!”

“Wait!” A voice interrupted her. Kase entered the room, and immediately kneeled before Souza. “I will join The World in Solomon’s place. I hereby pledge allegiance to Lord Souza. Just… please, spare him.”

“Kase, no…” Solomon weakly whispered.

The X-Saber successor stroked his bearded chin, contemplating. Finally, he motioned for Alice to stand back. “Rise, Kase Heiji. I, Souza, welcome you into The World.” He patted the white-haired revenant on the back, before sternly glaring at Solomon. “Your friend’s loyalty just saved your life. Do not waste this gift that you were given.”

“Hold up! I’d like to join The World too.” Xavier said.

Souza raised a curious eyebrow. “Really? How so?”

“I just like being on the winning side.” The Darklord Duelist shrugged.

Souza nodded with a smile. “Very well. However, if you ever try to double-cross us…” His expression hardened, as he placed his hand on the mercenary’s shoulder, his powerful fingers giving it a gentle squeeze. “I will make you regret being born.”

“Noted…” Xavier audibly gulped.

“Alice, take us to the Oracle. We are done here.” The leader of The World decreed.

Just like that, their figures were bathed in blinding light and then vanished, leaving the room empty, save for Solomon, who hung his head down in total silence.

The members of The World rematerialized inside a massive chamber, where ancient architecture mingled with giant branches and thick vines. A large crystal ball in the middle of the chamber showed them an image of Arcadia from the Oracle of Zefra’s point of view.

“This was inside the tree this whole time, eh? Pretty neat!” Xavier wolf-whistled.

“Pretty neat, indeed.” Souza calmly nodded. He looked to his right, where his first two friends, Alice and William, stood. He then looked to his left, at their two newest recruits. When he spoke again, his booming voice was further amplified by the Oracle’s power, being heard across the entire city…

“People of Arcadia! It would be wise of you to listen, and listen VERY well! We are The World! We strive for peace and freedom for all living beings! That is why this horrid Tournament will not stand! The sin of Dueling will not stand! The abuse of Duel Spirits will not stand! Whether you like it or not, the Arcadia Tournament is hereby cancelled! We strongly advise Duelists to swear off Dueling altogether! We shall come back in 48 hours! Anyone who is still wearing a Duel Disk by that time will be considered an enemy! You have all been warned!”

And with that, the Oracle of Zefra vanished into thin air, leaving thousands of citizens crying in fear and confusion.


	13. Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice and Souza search for a missing piece of the Oracle of Zefra.

The Oracle of Zefra drifted in a boundless space that mocked all known rules of Euclidean geometry, replacing them with chaos and cosmic anarchy. It was a place where those that were banished often never returned. A place known simply as… the Different Dimension.

Inside the Oracle, the members of The World indulged in various casual activities; William was absorbed in a bunch of old-looking textbooks, Kase was meditating, while Xavier was lying on a slab of stone, counting the number of cracks in the ancient ceiling.

“I’m bored! How long until we get back to the real world?” The Darklord Duelist whined.

Souza hummed in deep thought. “Hmm, it should be time soon…”

“Something is amiss.” Alice teleported into the room. “The Oracle of Zefra… is incomplete.” She hovered to the big crystal ball in the center, projecting a miniature version of the Oracle in it. “The Qliphort tree is missing a piece, a very important one at that.”

“The Qliphort tree? What’s that?” William curiously asked.

“This is the Zefra tree…” Alice pointed at the ten spheres on the upper half of the miniature Oracle. “And this is the Qliphort tree.” She pointed at the ten inverse spheres at the bottom. “It is where the servants of a different divinity were sealed… Sophia’s antithesis. We have no power over them, but we can make use of their husks. If Souza can harness the energies of both the Zefra and the Qliphort, he can have dominion over all Ten Virtues and all Ten Vices… He can become a God, and make the whole world bow to him.”

“Becoming a God…?” Souza frowned ever so slightly.

“I understand that a piece being missing is a hurdle in that plan, correct?” Kase joined the discussion. “There can be but one explanation of how this happened… Someone took it. Someone who had access to the tree beforehand.”

Alice’s heavenly features were marred by an unflattering scowl. “Grapha…”

Soon, the Oracle appeared floating above the gloomy Dark World, whereupon Souza and Alice beamed down to ground level, only to be greeted by a familiar face…

“Welcome back, travelers!” Virgil strummed his electric guitar, his form embellished in an orange hue, as he stood amidst a pool of boiling lava. “That is, welcome to the Burning Abyss! As you can see, I’ve made some renovations.” The big-hatted bard was flanked by a bunch of child-sized, dastardly Fiends, hideous ghouls and goblins.

“Gehehe! New arrival! How fun! How fun!” The long-taloned one cackled.

“What shall we do to them, boss?” The dog-headed one tried to sniff Virgil’s hindquarters.

“Let’s throw them in the lake! Throw them in the lake!” The pig-nosed one farted.

“Be still, my Malebranche.” Virgil quelled the group of quirky demons.

“We don’t have time for your comedic banter. Grapha stole something very important to us. Where is his body?” Alice asked.

“Something important… Would it be this thing, perchance?” Virgil clicked his fingers. As if on cue, four giant mechanical pillars were erected behind him, lined with flashing circuitry.

Alice’s golden eyes widened. “This is it… Apoqliphort Towers… The Throne of God.”

“As for Grapha, he got a bit of a makeover too…” Virgil clicked his fingers again. A gigantic dragon descended from the sky, half its body being pure white and sporting angelic features, while the other half was pitch-black and sported demonic features.

The goddess avatar stared at the Light and Darkness Dragon with a mixture of horror and disgust. “You tampered with a Duel Spirit’s corpse… This is sacrilegious!” In her anger, she shot a powerful beam of light from her hand. However, the monochromatic dragon got between her and Virgil, absorbing the attack without being fazed by it in the slightest.

“I see… That Duel Spirit’s ability allows it to negate all kinds of magic.” Souza stroked his dark goatee. “Its negation powers surpass even the Vanity Triad.”

“What’s sealed inside the Qliphort tree is too dangerous to fall into human hands, so Grapha and I made an arrangement. He infected the Naturia Sacred Tree in the hopes of destroying it.” Virgil explained, while playing a rocking melody on his guitar. “At the same time, I convinced him to keep one essential piece to himself as a contingency plan, so that even if the tree was reclaimed, it would be impossible to complete the puzzle.”

“You deceived us from the very beginning!” Alice snarled, completely livid. “If magic won’t work, then we shall Duel you!” She declared, arming herself with a pearly white Duel Disk that looked more like oversized jewelry than it did a functional piece of machinery. “We will utterly crush you, and make you grovel at Lord Souza’s feet!”

Virgil grinned widely. “Good. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at this ‘Dueling’ thing!”

Back at the Human World, Solomon Scardigne was getting a status report from one of his secretaries, who appeared inside his office in holographic form. “How is the evacuation proceeding?” He asked, visibly on edge.

“Not well, Mr. Mayor. Many people are still refusing to leave their properties behind.” The secretary responded. “There’s another pressing issue, sir. Protesters are still rallying on the streets, demanding that we yield to The World’s demands.”

“Tell them to stop wasting their time and leave the city! Every second counts!” The Arcadian Mayor yelled at him.

“Y-yes, sir!” The hologram dissipated.

“You too, go!” Solomon shooed away all the workers who were still fixing his broken windows. “Why are you still here anyway, Elias?” He finally asked his confidant, while meticulously putting a ring on each finger of a shiny new robotic hand.

“My helicopter should arrive in an hour.” Elias replied, sitting on one of the spare chairs. “Until then, I’ll stay with you as much as I can. You know that I hate seeing you stressed out.”

Solomon all but plopped on his chair out of both mental and physical exhaustion. “You have no obligation to look after me. You have a family. You have a son for Pete’s sake!”

“He sits in front of the TV all day long. Sometimes he barely notices my absence.” Elias jested, trying to lighten the mood a little. “Anyway, when are you evacuating?”

“I’m not. I’m staying right here.” The Scardigne heir replied. Silence filled the room, as both men understood the gravity of the situation. “I’ve seen The World’s power. No army can stand up to them. They are monsters… It will take another monster to beat them. That’s why I have a request for you… I want you to make sure that my wife evacuates safely.”

“You can count on me…” There was an underlying grief in Elias’ words, as if he was fulfilling a friend’s last request.

The CEO of Endelphia gazed pensively outside his window, or lack thereof. “I fear that something terrible is going to happen. Something too terrible to even fathom…”

“That deck… it should not exist…” Alice panted heavily, as she was driven to the proverbial wall by her Dueling opponent. The Malebranche’s uncanny ability to summon themselves en masse put even Souza’s mass-summoning style to shame. Even Alice’s Zefra deck - which was designed around performing multiple summons via the Pendulum mechanic - couldn’t keep up with their speed. It was a deck so powerful, it made even a Goddess tremble.

Alice’s side of the field was all but empty, while Virgil’s side was filled with two Xyz monsters, and even himself as a Synchro monster! The Rock Star of the Burning Abyss laughed heartily, clearly pleased with himself. “Who knew that Dueling could be so fun! Thank you for a good game, Ms. Alice. Now, Dante, Beatrice and myself! Attack directly!”

“Nooo!” The Zefra user cried in pain, as the attack knocked her back, reducing her Life Points to zero. “This wasn’t supposed to happen…” She grunted, getting up and pulling her deck out of her Duel Disk in her rage. “Useless Zefra! Useless! Useless! Useless! You have sullied Sophia’s name with your incompetence!”

“ALICE!” Souza roared at her. “It is over! Accept defeat with dignity!”

“NO!” Alice roared back. “It’s not fair! Everything was supposed to go our way! We were supposed to keep winning! We were supposed to make you a God!”

“I never wanted to become a God!” The X-Saber successor snapped at her.

The girl suddenly became deathly still. “What… did you say?”

“Uh oh! Trouble in paradise.” Virgil mused to himself, tipping his large hat and disappearing into a burst of flames along with his Malebranche.

Alice shook her head in desperate denial. “No… You have to become a God! How else will you stand next to a Goddess?”

“That was your vision, not mine.” Souza sternly replied. “I will show the right path to people who are lost, not reign over them. I will become a symbol to inspire them, not an idol to be worshipped. That is my vision. It’s what Gottoms would have wanted.”

Alice bit her own lip, her eyes flickering from gold to blue. Finally, she broke into tears. “I would do ANYTHING for you! I would give you my life! And you won’t even become a God for me?!” She wailed, throwing her miniscule fists against the man’s Herculean chest. “I thought that you were my friend… You were never my friend… were you?”

Souza’s expression changed drastically. For a moment, he was neither the hardened X-Saber warrior, nor the fearsome leader of The World. He was the flustered young man, Matheus Kallin. “Alice… that’s not what I meant…”

The two of them appeared back inside the Oracle of Zefra, where they were greeted by their allies. “So, how did it go? Did you find that Qli-thingy?” Asked Xavier, only to be shoved to the side by a storming Alice.

“Alice, wait! Listen to me!” Souza ran after her.

“No! Leave me alone!” A dome made up of moving vines surrounded Alice, sealing her off from the rest of the group.

“Did we miss something?” William asked, worriedly.

Trapped inside her own little prison, the girl fell on her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. “Why, Sophia, why… Being invited to this man’s home, eating his funny food, wearing his big shirts, sleeping next to him… It brought me… happiness. Why did you make your vessel capable of feeling happiness?” She drove her fist into the tiled floor, causing it to rupture. “I don’t want to lose him! I want him forever, as a God… a God and a Goddess. That’s how it should be… But, he doesn’t want that.”

Her eye color changed into a gold hue again. “Oh, but he will! He will…” A number of female voices whispered, as her lips parted to reveal a toothy Cheshire smile.

“And then, he will be ours… forevermore.”


	14. Destroyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice unleashes a horrible monster on Arcadia.

“Alice! Alice!” Souza smashed his mighty fists time and again into the makeshift dome of vines, yet the wooden construct, reinforced by the Oracle itself, was able to withstand even his superhuman strength. “Alice, don’t do anything that you’re going to regret!”

Meanwhile, the rest of The World’s members watched in confusion, their concern growing with each second that Alice didn’t respond to Souza’s loud pleas.

Until they did hear her voice. Her many voices, heard from everywhere at once, and yet from nowhere. They recited in unison a chant - nay - a prayer! A strange prayer that sounded alien, yet familiar, as if the sensation of hearing those very words was recorded into the subconscious memories of every living being…

_“May the earth shatter._   
_May the oceans dry._   
_And may the sun extinguish itself!”_

A shrill laugh followed, or perhaps it was a scream of agony. It was hard to tell the difference. It bypassed the confines of the Different Dimension, traveling through infinite spaces and beyond time itself. It reached a place that was normally inaccessible. And it beckoned something that did not belong in this or any other world…

“Come forth! Destroyer of timelines! Emptiness that tethers the universe together! GALAXY-EYES DARK MATTER DRAGON!”

The city called Arcadia was engulfed by a massive shadow that turned day into night. Huge claw marks mysteriously appeared on the side of a building. Another building nearby collapsed without reason, causing widespread panic. And then it appeared. There was no fanfare, no dramatic entrance. It was just suddenly there, as if it had been there the whole time and its existence had only now been confirmed…

A grotesque, swirling, nebula-like mass, stretched and distorted to vaguely resemble a dragon that was pitch-black, as if staring into the void of outer space. Its height was greater than three skyscrapers stacked on top of each other, while its blade-shaped wings had a span long enough to envelop the entire city in a lethal embrace.

Teeth, tusks and claws were the only reminders that this phenomenon was a creature that was alive and dangerous. It had two glowing orbs on its head resembling eyes, but did not use them to examine its surroundings the way an animal would. It was hollow, empty… This thing, more than any card used by Duelists, was truly worthy of the title of monster.

The Oracle of Zefra appeared hovering over the besieged metropolis. Inside it, The World’s members had gathered around their big crystal ball, staring in shock and awe at the abominable monstrosity that terrorized the populace.

“What the heck is that thing?!” Xavier exclaimed.

“I’ve heard of dragons growing to be the size of mountains, but this…” Kase muttered.

“I thought that Duel Spirits couldn’t fully manifest in the Human World.” William added.

“Sophia’s lovely pet cares not for such restrictions.” Alice said, finally emerging from her wooden cocoon and joining the men.

“Alice, is this your doing?” Souza’s eyes narrowed.

“Remember, our dear Souza. Everything we did, we did it for you.” The goddess avatar said, prancing around in sickening glee, dancing to the music to her ears that was the sound of an entire city crying out in terror. “Now, our Destroyer, lay waste to this symbol of oppression!”

Dark Matter Dragon slowly turned towards the Endelphia Conglomerate’s headquarters. Its eyes shone, filled with an insatiable lust for destruction, as it let loose a threatening roar that shook the very foundations of the space surrounding it.

“As if I’d let you do that!” Solomon’s voice boomed. The Scardigne heir was standing at the very top of the Endelphia tower, posing confidently. He raised his arms in front of him, clenching his fists - both his organic one and his mechanical one - and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Monarchs, assemble!” The gemstones on all ten of his rings shone brilliantly, causing ten hulking, armored figures to materialize behind him…

Standing in a perfect line were the Monarch monsters in all their glory, their kingly capes billowing with the wind. Towering over the standard lineup of Caius, Raiza, Mobius, Thestalos, Granmarg, Zaborg, Delg and Kuraz, were the two largest members of their group that commanded the most authority; One looked masculine, imposing and dreadful, while the other looked feminine, gentle and radiant.

“The barrier that separated our two worlds has been torn asunder. Never before has a Monarch set foot on the Human World.” Erebus the Underworld Monarch spoke in a deep, reverberating voice.

“Your world looks beautiful. We will not allow any harm to come to it.” Ehther the Heavenly Monarch spoke in a more soothing, almost maternal tone.

Solomon nodded at the two of them. “Then you know what you must do. I will offer my own soul as Tribute, if I have to. Just save Arcadia at all costs!”

“The contract is sealed.” Erebus proclaimed, as both he and Ehther outstretched their gauntleted arms in perfect sync. “Traitors shall be imprisoned! Deserters shall be exiled! Rebels shall be executed! And you, foul beast, will learn to bow before our pantheon!”

And the Monarchs stormed forth! Mobius summoned powerful blizzards, while Zaborg made lightning fall from the sky. Raiza, Thestalos and Granmarg attacked the beast with a roaring tornado of fire and floating boulders, followed up by multiple beams of light and dark energy from Caius, Delg and Kuraz.

Yet, it was all for naught… As Dark Matter Dragon took the full brunt of their combined assault and barely flinched to it - like a god being attacked by ants - perhaps Solomon Scardigne would understand the true meaning of existential despair…

A blast of galactic energy was shot out of the beast’s eternally gaping mouth, utterly devastating the Endelphia tower with approximately the same output as a star exploding.

“Excellent!” Alice clapped from the safety of her Oracle. “This should send a strong message. Everyone who opposes The World shall suffer the same fate!”

“Solomon…” A sorrowful Kase whispered under his breath.

The dragon suddenly faced the Oracle, much to everyone’s surprise, and prepared to launch another destructive blast from its mouth.

“Uhh… Does ‘everyone’ include us?!” A very sweaty Xavier asked.

“Alice, call your beast off!” Souza ordered, however Alice was too distraught at the moment to do anything. The X-Saber successor grunted. “William, get us out!”

“A teleportation spell? But, I haven’t practiced enough!”

“DO IT NOW!”

Thanks to the young magician’s efforts, the group teleported safely over to a steep hill that overlooked Arcadia in its entirety. From that outpost, they got to witness the full scale and horror of what Dark Matter Dragon was capable of, as the now unmanned Oracle of Zefra was completely annihilated in a series of violent explosions. Souza’s eyes widened.

The tree was burning, just like in his dream…

“We don’t understand… Why did our Destroyer disobey us?” Alice muttered to herself.

“It didn’t disobey you. Your Destroyer did exactly as it was told.” Souza answered. His voice was rumbling as usual, yet slightly shaky. “It destroyed a symbol of oppression. However…”

Colorful buildings modeled after iconic Duel Monsters cards were demolished as the dragon continued its brutal rampage, still unsatisfied. Large billboards promoting various Duel Monsters-related products were consumed by flames.

“Everything in Arcadia is a symbol of oppression. The city’s very existence is oppressive to Duel Spirits.” Water built up in the corner of Souza’s eye. “And so, it won’t stop until it is completely destroyed… including the people.”

“No… We can’t let that happen!” William cried out, grabbing Souza’s arm. “You still have the power of Stagnation in you! If you stopped time, you could evacuate everyone at once!”

“I can only make time stop for a few seconds.” The leader of The World said, making a pained grimace. “It wouldn’t be nearly enough to save everyone.”

Thousands of horrified screams filled the air. An unbearable cacophony of pain…

Their voices traveled deep underground, in a cavern where fire constantly spewed from the walls and magma flowed in trenches instead of water. Virgil stood amidst the lake of lava, practicing a new song on his electric guitar. He was surrounded by his fiendish Malebranche, all of whom were fast asleep, blowing comedic snot bubbles out of their nostrils.

“This is no time to be slothful, my Malebranche.” The big-hatted bard roused his demonic minions. “Wake up, brush those teeth, and put on your best smile! We’re going to have many new arrivals today…” His slender fingers danced on the strings, as he played a heartfelt solo. “They’ll descend into the Burning Abyss! They’ll be welcomed with open arms! OH YEAH!”

The roof of the cavern started to crumble, large chunks of rock falling down and into the lava.

“We’re all sinners, after all… Are we not?”

The destruction spread like literal wildfire, engulfing the city in an inferno. One-sided slaughter of unfair proportions is what this was. Indiscriminate carnage, for Dark Matter Dragon had no sentience, and therefore no concept of what discrimination was. It was emptiness epitomized. Destruction was the sole instinct that dictated its actions.

Tears cascaded down Souza’s chiseled face. His expression hardened considerably once he glanced at his allies, most of whom had lowered their gazes. They could no longer handle such unfathomable horror. It was too much for any normal person to handle…

And yet, their reaction was precisely what made Souza angrier than ever before.

“What are you doing?! How can you be so callous as to turn a blind eye to people’s suffering?!” He furiously yelled at them, spittle flying out of his mouth as he did. “This is OUR doing! This is OUR sin to bear!” He pointed at the burning city. “So, look at it! LOOK AT IT! Let this image be burned into your mind! Or so help me, I will end you with my own hands!”

Startled by his outburst, yet understanding the meaning behind every rage-fueled word of it, the members of The World followed their leader’s advice, gazing back at the source of their guilt and anguish. Out of them, Kase was the first to step forward. “Souza is right. We must listen to every scream, feel for every cry, and grieve for every victim, so that we may spend the rest of our lives seeking atonement…”

And so, they all watched together, no matter how painful it was. They stood side by side and watched while holding their hands together, giving each other strength.

All except for Alice, who stood behind them, staring at Souza with the look of a confused child. “We did this for you… Why aren’t you happy?”

A figure covered in soot and dust weakly crawled out of a mountainous pile of rubble. A bunch of shiny rings fell off their thin, bony fingers, and shattered into a million pieces upon hitting the ground. Their disfigured, deathly pale face looked borderline skeletal, with barely any skin left. Bloodshot, bulging eyeballs examined their surroundings, seeing nothing but burning ruins everywhere.

“My city… my beautiful city…” The ghoulish figure hoarsely whispered.

As the last building that stood began to slowly fall down on them, they let out a gargle-like, vengeful wail towards the smoke-filled sky.

“SOUZAAAAAAAAA!!”

And with the last building collapsing with an earthshaking thud, Dark Matter Dragon let out a resounding roar of its own. A roar aimed at the heavens. It was unlike any sound any animal on Earth could make.

A cry that reached the stars and the edge of the universe itself.

A cry not of sorrow, but of inescapable, never-ending loneliness…


	15. Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue of sorts.

The sun rose over what was formerly known as Arcadia, now a city reduced to ashes…

Among the scorched ruins and mountains of rubble, Souza crouched on one knee, leaning his head against one of his swords, which had been planted into the ground like a hastily put-together gravestone. “Gottoms entrusted the future to us, and we failed him… In our hubris, we lost sight of what was truly important. It’s not about humans or Duel Spirits… It’s about both!”

The X-Saber successor pulled his sword out of the ground, and draped a tattered, brown cloak over his larger than life frame. “I’ll have to find a new purpose. I must travel. Alone!”

“No, don’t go! You can’t leave us!” Alice clung to his cape, being dragged across the dirt.

Souza picked her up and brought her to his eye level, grasping her shoulders tightly. “You have to understand, Alice!” He shouted, panting heavily afterwards. “No matter what you did, I could never bring myself to hurt you…” He added in a softer, shakier tone.

And then he turned around and walked off, steeling himself to the woman’s desperate cries. He looked at only one direction: Forward.

The color of Alice’s eyes changed back to blue, while her holy garments vanished one by one. Finally, she fell flat on her face, sobbing. “Don’t leave me alone… Matheus…”

Kase Heiji, Xavier St. Croix and William Tarott stood near a decrepit, abandoned gas station, where the road split into three different routes. The hot desert sun blazed above their heads, creating tiny mirages in the distance.

“Souza went off on a journey to find himself. So should we.” Kase said, mounting his large motorcycle. “Duel Spirits will keep emerging in the Human World. They will be in need of a leader… I don’t claim to know a thing about leadership, but I can learn.”

“Speaking of learning, I need to finish my training.” William said, hoisting a bag filled with rolled-up, old manuscripts over his shoulder. “When I become a fully fledged magician, maybe I’ll seek out other people born with magical aptitude, and train them.” He added, before turning to Xavier. “What will you do?”

“I dunno…” The scrawny mercenary shrugged. “As long as there’s a job that pays good money, I think I’ll be fine.”

“Well said.” Kase smiled soberly, revving up his monstrous engine. “Farewell, my friends. I’m certain that our paths will cross again. However, when we meet again, it won’t be as members of The World, but as survivors of the Arcadian disaster.”

A black SUV with tinted windows sped through the empty highway, the Endelphia Conglomerate logo emblazoned on its doors.

Sitting in the back of the vehicle was Alice, wearing a navy blue tracksuit that was clearly too big for her. “Why did you pick me up?” She asked, while staring outside the car’s window.

A soft laugh came from the woman sitting next to her, who was clad in an elegant black dress, a matching veil covering most of her facial features. “Fufufu… It’s not everyday that you run into a girl wandering naked in the middle of the desert. I couldn’t just leave you there to die.” Her black lips formed a slight frown. “Even if you did kill my husband.”

For the first time, Alice turned to look at the other woman. “You’re Solomon’s wife?”

The woman in black smiled again. “Helena Scardigne, though I prefer my maiden name, Helena Crawford. And no, this isn’t an elaborate revenge scheme. I just wanted to meet you, really. Goddesses should help each other out, after all…”

Alice’s eyes widened. “You’re a vessel too…?”

Helena’s smile widened, a pair of otherworldly, azure-colored orbs shining underneath her dark veil. “Life is full of beautiful ironies, my dear Sophia. For example, just as you, a Creation Goddess, can destroy, so too can a Destruction Goddess create…” She said, pointing meaningfully at her own belly.

“You’re having… a baby?!” Alice gasped.

Soon, she was dropped into the nearest town. The monochrome-haired girl pensively stared at the vehicle driving off into the distance, still thinking about Helena and their fateful meeting.

And then it hit her… If a fellow goddess avatar could have a child, so could she.

“You! Make a baby with me! Right now!” Alice demanded, grabbing the first random bystander she could by the arm.

“W-what are you talking about?! Get lost, weirdo!” The man shook her off and ran away.

“This might take a while…” Alice mused to herself.

Night fell over a clean, upper class, suburban neighborhood. Elias had returned home.

As soon as he walked inside his house, a worried-looking, auburn-haired woman ran up to him, throwing her arms around him in an emotional embrace. “Elias, I was so worried!” She cried on his chest.

“They’re all dead, Flora… People I worked with, people I knew…” Elias hugged her back, on the verge of tears himself. “Where is Mortimer?” He asked.

His wife smiled weakly. “Where do you think?”

Elias rushed to their luxurious living room, where he found a young, pajama-clad boy sitting on the floor, watching an old cartoon short on a holographic TV screen.

Upon noticing him, the boy smiled brightly. “Papa, you’re home! You missed the best episode ever! Wacko the Cat was running away from Officer McBark, and then he wore a wig and pretended to be a woman, and then he did silly girly things and it was really funny!” The kid giggled. Seeing that his father wasn’t laughing with him, he tilted his head in confusion. “What’s wrong, Papa? Am I gonna get in trouble for watching cartoons at night again? Mama said it was okay…”

Elias kneeled down and pulled the boy into a hug, finally breaking into tears. “It’s a cruel world out there, my son… Promise me that you will never grow up…”

Elsewhere, a little boy with a shaved head was sitting alone inside a cold and sterile-looking procedure room, clad in a white hospital gown. He had a vacant look in his green eyes.

A sudden explosion was heard, followed by men shouting obscenities in German, a bunch of gunshots, screams, and finally silence…

In walked a giant of a man, with big muscles, spiky black hair and a fierce expression, which mellowed the moment he noticed the boy. “Greetings, child. My name is Matteo de Souza.” He declared in a deep voice. “Where are they keeping your parents?”

The boy gave him a puzzled look. “What is a parent?”

The man raised an equally puzzled eyebrow. “A parent is someone who watches and looks after you.” He replied.

“I see…” The boy stared at him with his big, verdant eyes. “Will you be my parent, Mister Souza?”

Souza smiled warmly. “Of course.”

Dozens of spoons littered the room’s floor.

All of them were bent.

**THE END?**


End file.
